Rolls of web material are used in a wide variety of personal, commercial and industrial applications where a web of material is to be supplied from the roll. A conventional arrangement, such as is commonly used for roll-feeding in the paper printing industry, consists of a roll of web material wound on an axle or on a hollow tube adapted with a mandrel through the tube. Due to the weight and size of the roll of web material, the roll of web material is typically lifted by a lift mechanism and placed in position with ends of the axle or the mandrel seated in opposing saddles or bearing holders. A web driving or pulling mechanism can then engage the roll of web material and feed the web material into an associated production process.
In most applications, precise care is required for placement of an axle or mandrel into the hollow tubular core of the roll of web material and lifting the roll of web material onto supporting saddles or bearing holders. Mandrels are typically quite heavy, roughly 30 to 50 pounds, can be difficult to install, and are prone to breaking during installation or use. Restricted access to the mounting position for the roll of web material also often limits utilization of conventional lifting devices such as cranes or forklifts, and therefore requires difficult manual lifting and placement, causing delay and reducing overall efficiency.